I have been looking at editing keyboards to make life easier, but found them way, way too expensive for just a keyboard with stickers. So I was thinking of using a gaming keyboard with the extra keys and then manually assign the extra keys to various tasks in my software.

My question is, what keyboard do you use? Why? And does it benefit you when it comes to editing.

The Bella Pro keyboards, complete with a jog shuttle controller have greatly interested me since I discovered them. I really want to give one a try though, with needing to focus money on other hardware and filming resources, I havn't been able to make the luxurious expense just to find out if I like it or not.

I would just use a standard keyboard.You'll be more flexible to edit on different computers that way.

Personally, I like to layout my hotkeys so everything fits my left hand.That way I never have to leave the keyboard/mouse.You just got to make good use of the ctrl/shift/alt modifiers.But that's just me.

The Bella Pro keyboards, complete with a jog shuttle controller have greatly interested me since I discovered them. I really want to give one a try though, with needing to focus money on other hardware and filming resources, I havn't been able to make the luxurious expense just to find out if I like it or not.

Yeah I have seen these ones also, but the price is just... I know its a niche market, but wow. I work in I.T a decent keyboard is 30-40 dollars AU. If it was 60-70 I could understand. But I guess there not targeting individual users there more trying to sell to large businesses who have the money to throw around, not your lowly ametuer editor.

Its mainly designed for drawing with the pressure sensitivity and all its features. But its accuracy and custom keys make it great for after effects. Like mapping the 2 pen buttons to forward and backward 1 frame. The pressure sensitivity also works with the rotobrush the lighter you press the smaller the circle allowing for quick adjustments to the size and accuracy of the rotobrush.

Its down fall is its size, I have a medium so I cannot have it on my desk the entire time, so I don't use it for quick masking of 30 frames. But if I know I am going to be sitting there for 3 hours rotoscoping I get it out. Price wise its a bit dear but its not hugely expensive. Mine was $500 AU. Intuos4 not intuos5

Phantasmagoriat wrote:I would just use a standard keyboard.You'll be more flexible to edit on different computers that way.

Personally, I like to layout my hotkeys so everything fits my left hand.That way I never have to leave the keyboard/mouse.You just got to make good use of the ctrl/shift/alt modifiers.But that's just me.

I don't plan on editing on other computers. I tried getting into the mutlimedia industry, I even got work experience in a Sydney agency. But I didn't really feel like it was the right job for me. So I am going to stay with just being a hobby editor, maybe enter some competitions, But that's about it.

Milk Or Life! wrote:I use this: http://retail.contourdesign.com/?/products/23 not a keyboard (and not a mouse...) but pretty configurable (fits also to lots of other programs,or any program?) as for me i mostly just use jog/shuttle wheel D: